...with knowledge that he probably wouldn't make the NBA, but that he could play in Italy. And there are insiders who have said that playing in Italy was his plan all along - with the NBA draft as a "shoot the moon" attempt on his way there.
Why would there be rumors that his plan all along was to play in Italy - from long before he officially declared he was leaving BYU - if that is a sudden back up plan and he had never anticipated or wanted to be there?
I think you're trying to recreate history to call the kid a dummy. But from where I'm sitting, it looks like he got what he wanted all along - while getting to try out for his dream job in he NBA along the way.